Last-slice holder.



Patented Apr. 2%, 1917.

2 EHEETFr-SHEET i .I.'HOPKINSOI\1.

LAST SHCE HOLDER.

APPLICATION HLED Aums, ms

infvfintur.

Kb u. a mas/m W P t 01 m K HUPKINSONw LAST SLIDE HUL APPLICATION FIL EDAUGJ, 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I LIIL when cutting the last slice.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON, OF DAYTON, OHIO. ASSIGNOR TO THE COMPUTING SCALE CONPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATYIION OF OHIO.

'LAST-SLICE HOLDER.

Application filed August 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .losi-zri-i HornmsoN, a citizen of the .UnitedStates, residing at Dayton, Montgomery county, and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Last-Slice Holders, ofwhich-the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This inventionrelates to certain new and useful improvements inattachments for meat slicing machines, and is particularly related to animproved meat holder for such machines. My improved meat holder isparticularly adapted for use on meat slicers Such devices are generallyknown as last slice" holders or meat end holders and are substituted forthe ordinary meat-holders when butt ends oi dried beef, sausage or baconare to be, sliced. The last slice holders grip the meat securely andallow the slicing machine to cut down to a very short distance from theend oi the piece of meat. The use of last slice holders effects aconsiderable economy to the user of a slicing machine, since it allowssmall pieces of meat to be sliced which ordinarily woul .be scrapped.

My device consists in certain improvements which permit the meat to bequickly placed upon the holder and after the meat is once in place it issecurely held and prevented from accidentally slippingfrom po sition. Inmy improved holder the points of the meat retaining hooks or tongs arenormally below the surface of the plate. This prevents the operatorinjuring his hands in placing the holder in position.

After the holder is in position and during .the meat clamping operation,the tongs-ad yance beyond the plane of the plate and grip the meat.

In the drewings- Figure .1 shows in elevation the preferred embodimentof my improved form of last slicejhol der.

, Fig. 2 shows a. top view partly in section oi: the holder shown inFig. 1. Certain parts are broken away to show the parts beneath.

Fig. 3 showsin elevation a. modified construction in which the tongs areintegral with the carrying studs.

Fig. 4: shows a top plan view of the holder shown in Fig. 3, certainparts being shown in section. a

Specification of Letters Patent Ia'l'ented Apr. 24, 19.1; 5%

Serial 110. 23.91 1.

Fig. 5 shows a modified method of attach .ihg the tongs to the carryingstuds.

Referring to Fig. 1: 10 is the meat plate; projecting from the ends ofthis plate are ears ]1, which are provided with apertures 12. in plaing; the meat plate in position on the slicing: n'iacliine posts on themachine ongage there a perl'uree in the ears and. hold the plate inproper msition. .lrojecting rear-- \varilly from the '1 i are extensionsand 14-. These serve as supports and guides for r rryzng the 1: its 15which we ries the operating ineehanisn'i.

Evtendingrearwardly from tne meet plate are a. number of bosses 16.Those the carrying studs which are shown at 17. There is one boss 16 foreach carrying stud 17. It will be seen in Fig. v1 that the studs 17 arelocated in the plate. in staggered re lation to one another. How 1 ofstuds is staggered with. respect to row 2.. and row 3 is staggered withrespect to row 4. Rows and 3 are in alinemeut with each other. Eachcarry ing stud is spirally slotted on its periphery, as shown at 13.These pull slots receive spiral, meat tongs 19. These tangs are formedof spring wire and are screwed into place in the carrying studs beforethe studs are placed in position in the plate. After the spiral tanginplace a taper pin 20 isdriven into a. hole .1; the stud and the sides ofthe pin contact with adjoining convolutions of the tang 19 and hold thetang securely in position in the slot 18. The end of the tongs when thetongs are secured in position extend a slight distance beyond the end ofthe carrying studs. These ends 21 of the tongs are sharpened to a pointso that the tongs easily perforate the meat.

The rear ends of the studs are diminished in diameter and each studcarries a pinion 22. These pinions may be integral with the studs orthey may be pinned thereon. any case they are made smaller than thediameter of the hole in the boss, so that pod-ion 6. If desired, thestuds and the collars may be pinned together.

It will be understood that the pinious 2'? of any one row of studs willbe inaline- 5 went with one another. The teeth on these piuions meshwith teeth on the racks 27 and 28. These. racks have teeth on theirupper and lower sides. One rack 27 meshes with the pinions in rows 1 and2 and the other rack in meshes with the. pinions in rows 3 aiul 4. Alarge pinion 29 is secured to a stud 30, which is journaled in boss llon the carryingplate 15. This pinion 2!) meshes with the teeth.on racks27 and -38 and when turned moves one rack 27 forward and the otherraclr28 rearward. This movement of the racks causes a rotation of thec-airying studs 17 and'a corresponding rotation of tlie tangs 19. Itwill be seen ":0 that the tangs in row 1 rotate in an opposite directionfrom those in row.2 andthe tangs in row 3 rot-ate in an opposite"direction from those in row ,-1.' The tangsiare therefore mounted in thecarrying studs in right and left hand spiral slots depending on thedirection of rotation. The point of the tangs in each case is pointed inthe direction of movement during the clamping of the meat. To rotate thepinion a rock L'- handle 32 is attached to the endof stud 30. The racks27 and 28 are supported between the upper and lower rows of pinions andthe meat plate casing is broken away to allow the racks to passtherethrough.

In order to impart. an advancing movement to the tongs 19, i. (2., tocause rela tive movement between the points 21 of the tangs 19 and faceof the meat plate 10. I provide the following mechanism: Bosses 34 arelocated on the rear sides of the meat plate '10 atthe corners thereof.These bosses are drilled and internally screw threaded to receivethreaded studs These studs carry pinions 36 which mesh with racks '27and 28, and are journaled in the carrying plate and are provided withcollars and screws in a similar manner to the tang carrying studs 17. Inoperatiu the handle a rotating motion is imparte to the threaded studs3:). These threaded studs move in and out in the threaded bosses and thein and out motion of the studs is transmitted to the carrying plate bythe engagement of collars and pinions 36 against the edges of saidplate. The in and out movement of the carrying plate 15 in. "turncarries. studs 17 in and out and thereby causes a. relative movement ofthe points 21 of tangs 19 and the'face of the meat plate 10.

It'will be understood that when the parts are in normal position, thehandle 32 is to the left (Fig. 1), plate 15 is in a. posit-ion moreremote from plate 10, as shown in Fin. 9.. and the points 21 of tongs 19Fig. 2 the parts are shown, in operative are below the surface of plate10. When the tangs are in this position, the slicer iseasier to handleand more easily placed in'position on the posts and accidents to theoperator are prevented. \Vhen plaein the meat on the' holder theoperator .ho dsthe meat against the meat plate and then gives the handle32 a clockwise movement. This movement both advances and 'rota'tes"thetangs; Theadjoining rows of-tangs move in opposite directions, andthereby they do not tend to crowd th nncat along the face of the meatlate but. instantly engage the meat and hold it securely to plate 10. In

position and with a piece of meat secured to the advanced tangs. In this6 re the meat' is shown in dotted lines at In slicing thin ends withthis device, by giving the handle 32 a partial movempnt, it will bepossible to only advance the points 21 of the tangs 19 a short distancebeyond the face of the meat plate 10. In this way very thin endsmay besecured to the holder and when thicker slices are applied.a'correspondingly greater movement may be-applied tothe handle 32. Itwill be understood that in all cases the-degree .or extent of rotationof the tongs 19 will be proportional to the extent of advancement of thetangs.

Fi 5 shows a modification in which the spirtfi tangs themselves are usedto cause a relative movement between the point 21 of the tangs and theface of the meat plate. In 100 this construction the slots 18 in thecarrying studs are-made only of sllflicient depth to receive one half ofthe spiral tang. The other half of "the tang cooperates with a spiralslot which is cut in the meat plate. Conse uently when the carrying'stud17 is rotate the spiral tang becomes a thread and -.-.dvances the stud17 and carries the point 21 of the tang away or toward the meat plate.In this construction the collars on the ends no of theg-tuds are-omittedand the late 40 is rigid the extcnsions 13 an' -14.- The pinion 50 issimilar to pinion 36 .of Fi 2, and this pinion and the carrying stud sift with respect to the plate 40, rack 27 and the front of meat plate10. 7

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified form of myimproved last slice holders inwhich the tangs are integral with the carrying studs. In' thisconstruction the carryin or rear plate is rigid and the studs themse vesmove relatively in the front and rear plates. 10 shows the meat platewhich has integraltherewith the-rear plate40. The platelO is I providedwith the usual ears 11 with aper- 128 tures 12 to engage posts onthetmaehine. 'Theapertures are shown as being round in Fig. 4, butsquare apertures may be used,

f the posts are of square cross section. .llates 10 and 40 are boredwith-a number of studs and these collars naaaave holes to form bearingsupports for carrying the studs 41. Collars 42 are pinned to the areinti ,ral with pinions 43 .which mesh with one another as shown in Fig.5. One stud til. is extended a considerable distance beyoniv late it),and carries a knurled knob 47 ily turning this knob the carrying studswill be rotater. lit will be understood that row 1 and the studs willrotate in opposite directions. The front of the stud (toward plate 10)is cut away to form a spi *al tang at which finally terminates at asharp point 45. The tangs in row 1 are left hand spirals and those/inrow 2 are right spirals. They are cut in this manner on account of theopposite direction of rotation of the studs in rows 1 and 2 and thisarrangement grips the meat or bacon art, and. what I if the direc thesame with all the in a more secure manner than tion of rotation. wastangsQ To advance and retract the tangs with re.- spect to the meatplate with this construe tion, I employ a number otpins 4-6 whichproject upward from the bottom of plate 10 and engage the spiral. slotsformed in the stud 41 by the adjoining conrolutions of the tan s 44.These pins 46 therefore being hel in fixed position, cause tliie taugsit, the studs 41 and pinione a3 and. collars as to move relatively tothe fined plate 10 when the knurled knob 47 is turned. It will beunderstood that when the parts are in normal position that the points4-5 of the tangs 44 are below the-surface of the plate 10. This preventsacc' cuts in placing the last slice holder in. position. are shown inmoved or advanced position, 5, 'e., in the position they assume alterthe meat is secured to the tangs.

It is to be understood that various modifications will occurto thoseskilled in the claim as myinvention is par ticularly pointed out in theappended claims. What I claim is:

1. In, a device of the class described, in combination, a. plurality ofcarrying etude each of the said studs carry'inga centrally contact withthe points open spiral tang, means for rotating the studs and the tangs,and means independent of said tangsfor advancing the said studs andtangs, the said advancing and turning movement of the tangs beingadapted to engage the tangs in a piece of meat.

2. A last slice holder, including, in combi nation, a plurality ofcarrying studs, each of said studs carryinga spiral tang, means :lorrotating the studs and the tangs thereon, an

' apertured plate adjacent the points of said tangs and means foradvancing said tangs and retracting them to a position in which thepoints of the bangs are below the surface of :the apertured platewhereby accidental of the tangs is prevented.

ln l.- the parts I combination,

at. A last holder. cei'n'irisin in eombiuation, a. meat plate, aplurality of studs carrying llt'lllgS, supported. thereon, and normallypositioned with. the points, of the tangs below the surface of the meatplate; and means for concurrently rotating and advancing the studs,whereby the tangs are rotated and advanced beyond the meat plate toengage meat and hold said meat securely to the oi the meat plate.

5. it last holder, coi'nprising, in combination, a. ii'ucat plate, aplurality of studs, journaled at one end in the meat plate, said studseach having a spiral slot in. its periphery, spiral ta has engaged inthe said slots in the studs, and turning means to turn and axiallyadvance the studs in their journals in the meat pla' "ind toconcurrently turn and adva the apirul taugs carried thereby.

6. .l' i a device of the class described, in conibii'iation, a pluralityof plates, a plurality of studs supported thereon, each of said studshaving tangs thereon, means for mutating said studs andtangs, means foradvancing one of the aforesaid plates, wl'iereby the studs and tangs areadvanced with respect to the other supporting plate.

min. a device of the class described, in plurality of plates, one ofsaid lates lfonning a meat plate, a second of said plates formingcarrying plate and being adapted to move relatively. to the meat plate,a. plurality of tang carrying studs supported. by both of the aforesaidplates, and movable through the meat plate upon the movement of thecarrying plate. and .rneans to advancing the carrying plate andconcurrently turning the tang carrying studs whereby the studs and thetangs are advanced and rotated.

8. In a device of the class described, in.

said plates forming a carrying-plate and 9. A last slice holdercomprising, in combination, a plurality of carrying studs, each of sandstuds carrying a spiral tang and a pln on, means comprising racksmeshing pendent 'ofthe tangs for advancing the studs and tangsconcurrently with the turning thereof.

10. In a device of the class described, a

meat plate, a carrying plate, a plurality of: tang carrying studscarried by and movable,

with thecarrying plate, the said. meat plate having a plurality ofapertures for supporting the endsof the studs, each of the aforesaidstuds having a pinion thereon, racks mesh ng with the aforesald pinions,and

means for moving the racks and turning the said pinions and tangcarrying studs.

11 In a dance of the class descrlbed, m

combination, a meat plate, a carrying plate,

a plurality of tang carrying studs carried by and movable with thecarrying plate, the said meat plate having a plurality of apertures forsupporting the ends of the studs,

each of the aforesaid studs'having a pinion thereon, racks meshmg withthe aforesaid plnlons, means in operative assoclatlon with the racks foradvancing the carrying plate,

and moving the studs through the apertures in the meat plate, and meansfor movingthe racks and turning the said pinions and tang carrylngstuds.

12. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a meat plate, 'a plurality of tang carrying studs, each ofsaid studs having a pinion thereon for turning the stud,

means for turning said pinions and the said studs, and means inoperative association with the meat plate whereby theturning of saidpinions advances the studs with respect to the meat plate. 1

.13. In a device of the classdescribed,

' meat plate'having a plurality. of apertures engage the tangs securelyin the meat.

15. In a last slice holder, in combination,

a supporting surface, a series of spiral meat engaging tangs, means foraxially advanc-' therein, a plurality of tang carrying studs havingpinions thereon, means for turning the pinions and the'studs, and meansin operative association with the meat plate, whereby the turning of.said pinions advances the studs through. the apertures in the meat plateand thereby engages the tangs on. the studs with the meat and securesthe meat to the meat plate.

14. A last slice holder including, in combination, a plurality ofcarrying studs arranged in a plurality of rows each of said studscarrying a spiral tang, means for advancing the studs and tangs andmeans for concurrently rotating adjacent rows of studs and tangs inopposite directions to ing the points of the tang-"s with respect to:clamp it against the support.

the supporting surface, and means for r0 tating the tangs in differentdirections to engage the meat. with the pinions for rotating the studsand z the tangs thereon, and means operableby the racks and cooperatingmechanism inde-" 16. In a last slice holder, in combination, a meatsupporting plate, means for drawing meat toward and clamping it againstthe sup orting plate comprising a series of central y open spiral tangs,and means for concurrently rotating them and axially advancing the tangswith respect to the meat plate to cause them to penetrate the meat and17. A 'lastslice holder comprising, in combination, a meat holdingsurface, a'plurality of tang carrying means, 881d; means beingdisposedin a column, pinions associatedwith the said tang carryingmeans, a a rack meshing with the said pinions, means for advancing andretracting the rack to thereby turnthe tang carrying means and.

advance or retract the tangs into or out of the-meat disposed adjacentthe meat holding-i surface i 18. A last slice holder com rising, incombination, a meat holding sur ace, a'plurality of tang carrying means,said means being disposed inparallel columns, pinions asso- 'ciated withthe said tang carrying means, a rack meshingwith the pinions in each ofthe said columns, and means for advancing and retracting-the rack,whereby the tang car-rying means are rotated to thereby advance orretract the tangs into or out of themeat disposed adjacent the meatholding surface.

19. A. last; slice holder for slicing ma chines comprising, incombination, a meat holding surface, aseries of spiral rotativelymountedmeat holding tangs, arranged in a pluralityof parallel separate columns,pinions associated therewith, racks intermeshing with the pinions, eachrack meshing with the pinions of a plurality of the columns, and acommon 'operating means'for allof the said racks to advance and retractthe same, whereby the. spiral tangs are rotated into or out of the meatWhich isdisposed adjacen't the meat holding surface.

20. In a last. slice holder, incoinbination, a meat plate, a series ofgears arranged on one side of the plate and having spiralhneat engagingtangs to rotate inunison therewith, said'tangs projecting. throughapertures in the plate, a rack meshing with the ,said gears, andmeansforreclp'rocating said rack to rotate the spiral tangs and therebyengage or. disengage said tangs and the meat.

. '21-. In a last slice holder,in combination, a

meat plate having a plurality of apertures therein, a plurality of gearscoaxially-disposed with respect to. the said apertures, spiral meatengaging tangs adapted to rotate in'unison with the said gears andextending axially in the said apertures, the aforesaid gearsbeingdisposed in. parallel columns, and a raclntov mesh wi l1, gears inboth columns to rotate the same, and means for reciprocati-ng the saidrack.

22=-rIna last slice holder, in combination, a meat plate, spiral meattangs in cooperative relation to said plate, said tangs having gearsassociated therewith for rotating the same, a rack in mesh with the saidgears, and means for, reciprocating the rack.

23. A last slice holder comprising, in combination, a meat plate, aseries of gears extending in alinement across the said plate at. oneside thereof, spiral meat engaging ,tangs adapted to rotate in unisonwith said gears, a rack extending across and meshing with the said rowof gears for rotating the same, and means for reciprocating the rack,whereby the spiral tangs are rotated and are engagedor dlsengaged fromthe meat disposed adjacent the meat plate.

24". A last slice holder comprising, in combination, a meat plate, aseries of gears extending in alinement across the meat plate at one sidethereof, a second series of gears extending parallel to the aforesaidseries,

series of spiral meat engaging tangs adapted to rotate in unison withthe said series of gears, one series of said tangs having left handspirals and the other series having right hand spirals, a rack memberhaving teeth meshing with the first mentioned series of gears, means forreciprocating the rack and means for rotating the second series 'ofgears concurrently with the first series but in reverse direction,whereby the tangs in one series are reversely rotated with respect tothose in the other series.

25. In a last slice holder, a spiral meat engaging tang and mountingtherefor, com prising, in combination, a stud having a spiral slot inits periphery; a spiral tang threaded into the said slot and having itsouter periphery substantially flush with the periphery of the stud; andmeans associated with the stud for securing the spiral tang in positionin the spiral slot.

In testimonya t'fhereof I hereunto afiix my s1 gnatnre.

JOSEPH HOPKINSON.

